If you have the opportunity to do amazing things in your life, bring someone with you.

Focus on the Journey

The journey of life has infinite experiences – and yet we tend to focus on a finite amount of them.

Destinations have somehow become the focus; and that’s as good as looking forward to death.

My path in the last eight months has given me great insights into what happens when you shift your focus to the journey and the path versus the end result or destination.

Climbing a mountain has a result of getting to the top and experiencing a phenomenal view; but that only happens when you climb the path to get there. The experience is in enjoying what the path has to offer. How different it is as you start compared to half way. Absorbing the changes in vegetation and elation.

There’s a difference between taking a 5-minute cable car to the top and seeing first-hand the layers that make up the mountain in a one hour hike.

Giving back

One of the aims of climbing Table Mountain every day in 2018 is to use it as a platform to raise money and awareness for those born into far more challenging circumstances than you and me. I’m working to empower one million peoples lives and that requires a lot of support and money to raise.

That brought many limiting self-beliefs to the forefront. One of which has been my hopes of always finding that ‘one big win’. Waiting for the lottery of life to land me my big break.

I had that exact hope for this challenge. I was introduced to a connected and wealthy philanthropic individual that I could see help me explode this across the world making it a huge success. Reflecting on my pinned hope showing no interest at all, means I now understand something very important. Had he jumped on board so early on: I wouldn’t have been learning what I am now about building this support network. I wouldn’t be focused on one avenue and be thinking about new ways to get the message out there. I’m not sure I’d be meeting the incredible people I am as well as being grounded in what a gift it is for them to come into my path.

Being taught to read instead of being read to.

The greater the lessons we learn the better equipped we are to empower others. My experiences are becoming far more valuable than my degree.

By not getting what we want – we get exactly what we need.

I certainly got what I needed by starting on zero instead of 90%.

They say you need to set goals so big that you can’t achieve it until you grow into the person who can. How true that is, and what they don’t mention is how much fun it is learning all the new skills and meeting all the new people to help you get there.

Things I may never have experienced if my ‘knight in shining armour’ had rode in on day one.

When things don’t work out exactly as you want stop worrying why, trust the process and smile knowing that all will be revealed at some point. You don’t need to see the oxygen in the air that’s helping you live – just be the lungs that breathe in the air never doubting its filled with oxygen.

Andrew Patterson is climbing Table Mountain (Cape Town) every day in 2018. His aim is to raise money and awareness to positively empower 1 million South Africans born into more challenging circumstances than ourselves. He’s doing this by channeling the money raised to

– Habitat for humanity to build homes

– One heart for kids to help under resourced schools teach children to read